If I had a dollar for every disaster story I’ve heard about free website hosting I probably wouldn’t be writing this; I’d be lying on a sun lounger on some expensive exotic island! Seriously, whether or not you choose Suncoast Web Solutions, just don’t opt for free hosting.

I have to admit they make it sound irresistible; I mean, it doesn’t get much better than free, right? But then there’s also that saying about ‘no such thing as a free lunch’. In my mind, ‘free’ usually means there’s a catch.

All the free web hosting services I’ve come across use very public servers, so straight away there’s a security issue. And because they load so many websites onto these servers, there’s a space issue. That’s why free web hosting crashes so frequently and your website is offline more than on.

Professional Hosting Services

So, you’re offered the earth for free and once you sign up, you discover that you have very limited space and will have to pay extra to get more. From there the extras really add up.

Quite honestly, if you’re operating a business website, especially one with sensitive data like customer details, free hosting really isn’t an option. Apart from space, security and hidden costs, it just doesn’t look very professional.

Your website is only useful if it’s actually online! Most professional hosting services offer Uptime Guarantees and technical support; they also offer far greater protection against hackers. Even if, worse case scenario, your site went down, regular backup means your host would be able to restore it. At Suncoast Web Solutions we offer a 99.9% Uptime Guarantee on Network, 24/7 technical support plus daily, weekly and monthly backups.

UNLIMITED SPACE

Free hosting comes with a fixed amount of bandwidth and limited space; with professional hosting services you choose the amount of data space you need. This can be increased or decreased as you wish.

TECHNICAL SUPPORT

Do you get this from a free hosting company? Unlikely, I mean, why would they? By paying a fair price for professional hosting services you also get professional technical support. However, good your website is there will always be glitches; having someone on hand 24/7 to fix the problem is essential for good business.

SECURITY

As mentioned, free hosting services expose your website and your business to serious security threats. Public servers are child’s play to a hacker. If they get into your site they can steal sensitive information, such as payment details, or even your customer list, which can then be sold to your competitor. They can shut your site down or hold you to ransom. Don’t risk it.

SEO

Does your free web hosting service care about your visitor numbers or search engine ranking? No. Professional hosting services, however, can give you access to SEO experts who can help you develop your digital marketing strategy and boost visitor numbers. They can even give you feedback on how your website is doing.

DOMAIN NAME

All that money you’ve invested in marketing your business will be for nothing when customers see you have a generic domain name. For a relatively small investment, you can have your own business domain name, adding credibility and trust.

You can pay your account via Direct Deposit. Our bank account details will be attached to the bottom of the invoices that are sent out to you. When going through the checkout please make sure that you select the payment option “Pay Offline — Direct Deposit / Cheque"'

You can pay your account via Cheque. When going through the checkout please make sure that you select the payment option “Pay Offline — Direct Deposit / Cheque". Payment by cheque needs to be sent to the following address: Suncoast Web Solutions PO Box 447 Maroochydore Queensland Australia 4558 Cheques are to be made out to "Suncoast Web Solutions"